The Regal Tigress's Robocop: The Series Episode Guide!

Then, the next week came, and I waited anxiously, yet again, for some particular programming.... and Robocop wasn't on! There was some special on, and so I figured that He must have been rescheduled. So, not THAT worried, I went out to get a TV Guide, and searched and searched, but it simply wasn't in there! Starting to get a bit worried, I bought the following week's copy.... Nothing. That's when I noticed, via a commercial, that the Sci-fi Channel had a site. A bit daunted, I decided it was the next place to look for an answer to the question on my mind, "Where have all the cyborgs gone?" I found a main page there with a VERY brief blurb on the series, but nothing more. Then I noticed that they had something called a "TV Schedule BOT," through which you can search for when television series, episodes, specials, etc. are on. I typed in a "Robocop" search string for July... and it produced no results. I did the same for August, which was as far as they had scheduled-ahead at that point, and still nothing, no matches. Then I figured I'd back-track, to the date when I KNEW it had been on, and sure enough, it was there, as it was in previous months, when I DIDN'T have the Sci-Fi Channel.... *grumble*

So my search continued as I looked up the hours it was SUPPOSED to be on, and found other specials scheduled. Had our Robo become the outlet where specials could be scheduled over him? I was VERY unhappy and discouraged. SO I wrote letters, LOTS of letters...

And I did more research, as the responses i got (at long last) weren't encouraging, that he was likely being-taken off-air, permanently! Then there was this petition that I was working on (in real life) because their e-mail server suddenly stopped working... hmmm...

So my quest continued, for ANY way to see the episodes, including the fact that now EVERYTHING Robo has gone out of print! The tapes, the soundtracks, EVERTHING as of mid-July, when I was away at Cape Cod and had no idea what I'd return to. So after more phone calls then I can count (and that's a lot! :) ), I'd just-about given-up hope, when I decided to post my difficulties in the Realm, hoping beyond hope that SOMEONE SOMEWHERE out there had recorded or had ANY of the episodes on tape. And at long last I've finally found someone nice enough to copy some onto tapes for me! *big grin* The only problem is, it seems that finding ALL the episodes is a problem, so was STILL looking towards the Sci-Fi Channel with deep hopes...

The answer, or at least the HOPE came as of August 2, 1998, when their "TV Schedule BOT" had been updated to include September, and hopefully the end of summer programming conflicts. Weary, yet still inwardly hopeful, I typed in the search word..."R-O-B-O-C-O-P....[ENTER]" ...about a minute passed, a very tense one, as my request was processed. I figured that if it didn't come back for the month of series premieres, when programs found their yearly spot, he was gone for good. Patience. Patience. Then something came up, and I was wondering if I dare look...

I did, of course, and my eyes grew wide as I saw four listings for "Robocop: The Series" in September! No episode titles accompanied the results, but a new time did....

That's right, "He's Back!" Score one more for Robocop! And dedicated fans! Cute as it was, I even got a personalized response from the people at the Sci-Fi Channel thanking me for my concern, mentioning the large response they'd gotten to taking him off the air, reconsidering doing that, and alerting me that he'd be coming back!

So we don't know, at this point, if he's here to stay, but now hope has returned to all those suffering from RWS, and once the re-running starts, if there is anyone out there who wants some episodes on tape, feel free to contact me.

With any luck, I'm hoping that I can get ALL the episodes on tape for anyone who wants them! And thanks again, EVERYONE, for helping! Let's just cross our fingers and toes that this is for more then JUST September!

The Watching of THE Series...

The episode that was on at that point was "The Human Factor, (episode 11)" which I had remembered being listed under a VERY well-made "Robocop: The Series" episode guide done by Anthony M. Santomenno, Jr. who is also the master of a Robocop Webring.

I've decided to do a similar thing, seeing that I enjoy adding my own little twist and pointing out all the great inside jokes in each episode.

Since I'm just beginning to watch this Robocop: The Series, this episode guide is not at all complete, but as I watch each episode, I'll give you all the information I can, right when it's fresh in my mind! And please, if you have any additional information, send it to me so that I can make this guide as comprehensive as possible.

1. The Future of Law Enforcement (pilot episode)
11. The Human Factor

1. THE FUTURE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (pilot episode)

VISUAL NOTES:

11. THE HUMAN FACTOR

Fired from OCP 12 years previous because of unauthorized testing involving spider venom (to regrow his balding head), Felix Webber breaks out of the "Henry Ford Center for the Morally Challenged" to get revenge on the company that he considers to "walk on the little people."

Felix was made famous by the movie "The Mad Bomber of Old Detroit," because he had perviously held the city hostage in a 6-month grip of terror. Considering corporations the enemy, he, with his superior bomb-making knowledge, decides that OCP should be his grand target. And as a welcoming-home present, he plants a bomb in the car of Russell and Dorothy Murphy, Robo's parents, while they were visiting Alex's grave, because it was Russell (then Chief of Police) that had tracked him down, and captured him earlier,.

Even though Russell comes to the conclusion that it was just for a scare, and that they aren't Felix's REAL target, Lisa Madigan is assigned to protect the Murphy's, and Robocop too decides to "tag along."

While visting his parents' house, Robocop looks at pictures from his past, and has a few flash-backs, accompanied by many tense moments with his parents, because he still refuses to tell them the truth, for their own safety. As Lisa and Russell talk of how to solve the city's problem, now that OPC's new Anti-Corporate-Terrorism (ACT) Squad is headed by Granger, a man that Russell (and Felix) know is incapable or handling the situation, Lisa plays a light game of chess with Russell, and offers Robo a way out of a tense moment with his mother by asking him to take-over her game. Robocop accepts and has more flash-backs of his father teaching him a special chess move, distracting the opponent by the King. To the amazement of his Russell, Robo counters this move, and for the first time, it appears as though Russell might have the thought in the back of his mind, that this MIGHT be his son...

RUSSELL: "How'd you DO that?!"
ROBOCOP: "I had a good teacher."

At first, Russell refuses to assist in re-capturing Felix, knowing that Granger won't accept his help. But it is Robocop who reminds him that it is his duty as a police officer, even if it is a retired one, to protect the innocent. Russell, personally, is amazed that it is a "machine" that reminds him of his duty.

RUSSELL: "Machines... it's amazing what they can do these days..."

IMPORTANT NOTES: We can now finally date (to the year) Alex Murphy's death. As seen on his tombstone in this episode (while his parents visited it) the year of his death was 2120.

In addition, it seems that Robo's a darn good chess-player. The undefeated chammp of Metro South! Who would'a thought? This is where "The Human Factor" comes into play.

EMOTIONAL NOTES: Robocop and Russell Murphy become partners in trying to solve the case, and in the end, you get the feeling that Russell might have a hint as to who Robocop REALLY is...

COMEDIC NOTES: Did you catch who takes Robo up in the helicopter? Scotty. Why is this so funny you ask? ...

ROBOCOP: "Take me up, Scotty." (Think Original Star Trek--> "Beam me up, Scotty." (even though no one ever actually SAID that, EVER, just a little-known trivia fact there))

OOPS! or "Did You Notice...?:

Scene: Felix is getting the bomb from the arms dealer, just prevous to his request, these lines are exchanged (Approximately)

DEALER: "You want special, I've got special. Cobra Assualt Cannon, Auto-9 Avengers. . .

Wait a minute. . . The Auto-9 is Robo's gun. Only one copy of this has been made, according to the episode "Prime Suspect."

Special Thanks to Gorath for mailing me this little bit'o trivia!

TECHNICAL NOTES:

VISUAL NOTES:

© 1997-1998 tigress@pptnet.com

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